Chapter 225 - The Islet Mystery 41

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are waiting for the landing clearance from the Air Traffic Control tower. We expect to land in fifteen minutes. Thank you so much for your patience."

Shiela sighed as she listened to the In-Flight Service Director announcing their soon arrival to Abu Dhabi International Airport in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It is the second-largest international airport in the UAE after Dubai International Airport. From there, someone whom Ryan appointed to meet her would take her to Chara Blooms, a five-star hotel he owned. For her safety, she would also hold her office there.

As soon as she got her luggage, she proceeded to the terminal exit, and as soon as she got into the lobby, a lady in her forties holding a small banner with the name and logo of the hotel waved at her. Shiela smiled at the thought of Ryan's thoughtfulness. He prepared everything she needed and all she had to do was to take the flight and the lift towards the place he prepared for her. Thinking that the smile was for her, the lady broke into a wide grin and met her halfway.

"Mrs. Shiela Ferrer Yu?" the loud and happy voice of the lady tickled her. 

Mrs. Shiela Ferrer Yu, a name so strange and distant, but pleasing to her ears. She felt it funny and awkward. Had Ryan been there, she would have pinched him hard for not informing her ahead of her borrowed title.

"Yes, I'm Sheila,"  she replied, holding her urge to giggle. "Thanks for coming over to meet me, Miss Yen."

Ryan informed her ahead about who would meet her at the airport, what model of the car she would be riding with Miss Yen, and the floor level where she would be staying. She even laughed when he mentioned Chara Blooms as the name of the hotel.

Shiela stretched out her arms to hug Miss Yen. She could already guess by her first impression on her that they could become good friends. Miss Yen was a bit surprised, but she quickly concealed it. Her smile grew wider as she received Shilela's hug.

"Mrs. Yu, please follow me to the parking," Miss Yen said as she took from Shiela's hand her luggage.

"Miss Yen, please call me Shiela and not Mrs. Yu."

Miss Yen furrowed her brows before letting out her captivating smile, "I'm afraid your husband, Mr. Yu, wouldn't like it."

Shiela laughed at Miss Yen's surprise. "He told you that?"

"Of course. Mr. Yu asked me to hold a meeting to announce his wife's soon coming," she replied sincerely, then she added, "he adores and loves you so much, Mrs.Yu. How long have you been married? Tomorrow, I would also be meeting Atty. Manloza for the transfer of Mr. Yu's businesses here into your name."

Shiela felt like fainting. What was really inside Ryan's mind? These were already proof of his sincerity, but how could he get away from his marriage with Jullien? Were these all rather his compensation for marrying someone else? Or, perhaps, she just didn't trust him enough.

Not long after they boarded Ryan's car, they slowed down in front of Chara Blooms, allowing Shiela to take in the whole facade of the building. Situated amidst Saadiyat Island, a natural island in Abu Dhabi transformed into a flourishing center of arts and culture, it stood out as one of the attractions of the place. Shiela got awed by its height and elegance and the fact that this was the fruit of Ryan's effort and productivity.

Miss Yen, by her side, talked a lot about many things such as the skyrocketing income of the hotel, the excellent reviews about their services, and the myriad reasons why tourists chose to stay in Chara Blooms. Before they knew it, the driver already stopped in front of the private lift that would take Shiela to her suite.

Miss Yen left Shiela to take a rest before she would formally introduce her to the administrators and staff during the welcome party Ryan held for her. She toured around her suite and paused by the floor-to-ceiling glass window overlooking the city below. On the side where she was standing, she could see the turquoise waters and the white sand of the beautiful coastline. Towering buildings lined up the horizon, giving her a glimpse of a bustling lifestyle below.

Changing into something comfortable while she lay down in her bed, she decided to call Allie. Ryan had warned her not to call him because he was afraid that her calls would be registered, giving his dad a chance to trace her up. However, after several attempts, her number couldn't be reached. She tried Cherry and Jane's numbers and the rest of them, but still, they were out of coverage. 

Her heartbeats started to beat like the drumming of the cicadas. It seemed unusual that all of them would be out of coverage together. Although Ryan's place was in the middle of the sea, he used the highest available technology to avail of the connection to urban life. She remembered Richard, and through him, she learned that Andrew, Joanna, and the rest of them underwent investigation for the loss of Allie and Ajie. Richard also informed her that the following morning, the rest of them got into a boat and no longer returned. Only Chloe was left in their room, asleep.

"What happened then?" Shiela asked, finding it hard to catch his breath.

"Ryan called up Hayri and informed him about what happened. He took the next plane available in Turkey before his company's pilot met him in NAIA. They then arrived here via chopper."

"There are CCTV's all around. Why not look into it?"

"Yes, but only some areas of the house are covered. The last clear video footage is about all of them gathering in the living room while Ryan was serving them tea. The next scenes are blurry footages of them coming out of the house and Ryan helping them in fastening their seatbelts. The connection was then cut due to flashes of lightning, resulting in electrical disruption."

"Where were they going?"

"Ryan told us that they want to come to the hotel where we are staying to talk about Allie and Adrian's loss."

Shiela was already choking due to her loud and racing heartbeats. There must be something wrong. The CCTV's must have been tampered. She already knew it would happen; that's why she gave Allie some survival tips. Ryan's dad must have made his moves already.

Shiela decided she just couldn't stay here and enjoy the comfort while the lives of her newly-found family hang in the balance. She must go back and help Ryan find their child in her own way. Only then would Ryan find the courage to end his father's wickedness.